Fall Apple Cranberry Pie

Apples are a favorite fall ingredient. Savor them in a delicious pie that gets a tart twist from cranberries.

Total Time: 2:05

Prep: 1:00

Cook: 1:05

Level:
Moderate

Yield:
8 slices

Serves:
8

Ingredients

Crust

2¼ c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. sugar

¾ tsp. Salt

½ c. cold unsalted butter

2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter

¼ c. vegetable shortening

7 tbsp. iced water

Filling

½ c. granulated sugar

¼ c. packed brown sugar

3 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. grated nutmeg

¼ tsp. Salt

3 lb. baking apples

½ c. dried cranberries

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter

Directions

Crust: In a food processor, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and shortening; pulse until the mixture resembles meal, with pieces of butter the size of small peas. Turn the mixture into a large bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of the water and toss with a fork. Drizzle in 2 to 4 tablespoons of the remaining water, tossing with a fork, until the dough starts to clump together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, one slightly larger, and press each into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 hours or up to overnight.

Adjust racks to lower third of oven; heat oven to 425°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger piece of dough to a 13-inch circle. Ease into the pie plate, gently pressing dough against the sides and bottom of the plate. Trim edge, leaving 3/4-inch overhang. Fold overhang under and press to make edge; refrigerate. Roll the remaining dough to an 11-inch circle, and with 2- to 3-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutters, cut out leaves. If desired, using the back of a paring knife, trace lines to make veins. Gather scraps and re-roll to make more leaves if desired. Transfer leaves to a plate and refrigerate.

Filling: In a large bowl, mix the sugars, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add sliced apples, cranberries, and lemon juice; toss well to coat with sugar mixture. Turn filling into pie plate, arranging apples to minimize spaces between slices, and dot with butter. Brush edge of dough lightly with water and arrange leaves, starting some at the edge, randomly over apple mixture, overlapping slightly and pressing lightly.

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and bake 25 minutes. Cover edge of crust with foil and slide a sheet of foil onto rack under pie to catch any drips; bake 25 to 30 minutes longer, until crust is browned and juices have thickened and bubble at edge. Transfer pie plate to a wire rack; cool completely.